Tuesday, 30 October 2012

Well, since I hardly remember myself... (!), or at least "whether I am coming or going" as the expression goes, I thought it would be about time I reminded myself, and those of you who might still be stopping by here, that I am still alive, even if ridiculously busy with this, that and the other...

A stroll in the rare, but oh so lovely, sunshine a few weeks ago, after a rainy week that made for some - shall we say - challenging terrain around the back of Lacock Abbey. But worry not, a stile a little further to the left (out of sight here) enabled us to not have to show off our swimming skills that day.

There is something so wonderful about skipping, strolling, or in any way moving across these great green farm fields, and to see the children take full advantage of the vast openness before them to run, run, run until they can run no longer, or until they stumble over a sleeping sheep - whichever comes first... We only use public footpaths, of course, and luckily there are a lot of them around here!

So what else have I been up to in the last few weeks, except skipping across green pastures, humming Sound of Music tunes? Well, a few very exciting things, of which two have involved my passion for styling an environment or image that is - hopefully - pleasing for the eye. In one case, it involved helping a client with some finishing touches in an already beautifully renovated and stunningly decorated old cottage. In the other case, I had the pleasure of working with some of the gorgeous and wonderfully cheeky bird personalities that characterise ceramicist Hannah Turner's decorative items and tableware. Very soon, when Hannah's new collections are available in store (and on her website), I will show you more of the photos from my chirpy day in the company of her funky ceramics!

Having no new vignettes to show you, I will, again, recycle some from last year. I feel these really capture well "who I am" at the moment. The colours, the materials, the shapes...

I just realised that perhaps that goes deeper than just my taste,

perhaps it reflects quite literally who I am...?

A little rusty, a little scruffy, a little round... ☺

But now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for... CHRISTMAS!

Drum roll.....

Norwegian interior styling, writer and photographer Franciska Munch-Johansen has just published her new book, Sanselig Jul (Christmas For All the Senses) and it a very beautiful compilation of her own photos and ideas and those of a number of bloggers. To find out where you can buy it if you are interested, click here.

To tempt you , here are some pages from the book (click to enlarge):

... a few photos from an - unusually snowy - England from yours truly...:

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Mummy's Own is a lifestyle and inspiration site for Mums - created by Mums, aiming to offer inspiration through for example blog recommendations, recipes, fashion and articles about well-being. The ladies have just relaunched the blog in English, and a couple of weeks ago The Swenglish blog was their blog recommendation - thank you so much, Camilla!

More blog love has come my way through no other than the lovely Henrick Eriksson (with the informative and inspiring blog Kråks Stuga - formerly known as "Henricks Tankegångar"), whose styling skills, knowledge of interior design trends (and much more!) make for very pleasant reading indeed! Thank you so much, Henrick, you made my day! Yes, I know, to some of you this may sound a little like a ping-pong game of reciprocated back-scratching, but I would happily have written this completely unprompted and I believe spreading some blog love is spreading good vibes, and good vibes are great fuel for the soul, whether blog related or not!

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Phew, there we are. Are you still there? If you did not give up half way through what in the end became a very eclectic and very long blog post, then let me finish by wishing you a lovely last few days of October!

With no new little decoration vignettes to offer, I will recycle yet another autumn display from last year, in the hope that my new readers may enjoy it as new and my old readers won't mind the repetition too much. So, with all my heart(s), here a celebration of the season in my own veggie ways...:

Click on the image to visit my Interior Styling & Photography website

Welcome to my blog, where I hope to share a few glimpses of interior and garden decorating ideas and of the life of a Swede in the UK. Unable and unwilling to stick to one style, my house hosts a mix of Swedish-Danish-French country style, with a hint of New England and a whiff of the Orient. I tend to surround myself with pale, calming colours, but sometimes also flirt with a more spicy palette. With inspiration from nature, recycled items and a dose of cheeky playfulness, I try to see beauty in the little things and items that may at first appear scruffy and 'past their best'. I hope you may find some inspiration here. Välkomna!

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are my own, so please ask if you would like to borrow them, and always state the source.

Some of my photos from the Swenglish Home featured in Franciska Munck Johansen's book...

Out now - Click on the image to see where it is sold

Some of my photos in Franciska Munck Johansen's Christmas book......

Out in November 2012

Our home featured in...

April issue 2012

Our home featured in German magazine Landhaus...

July/August issue 2012

Our home featured in...

Hungarian Interior Magazin Otthon, 2013/06

Some of my photos in ...

Norwegian magazine Vakre Hjem, March 2011

Some of my ideas and photos in...

Hungarian magazine A Mi Otthonunk, Dec 2011

Some of my photos, texts and ideas in...

Wiltshire Magazine April/May 2012

Some of my work published in...

Wedding Flowers Magazine July/August 2012

Some of my work published in...

Good Homes Magazine, February 2013

The Swenglish Home is a member of...

About me

I am a forty-something Swede and I live with my familyin an 18th-century cottage in a small hamlet outside Bath in the UK. I previously lived in an early Victorian house nearby, the interior of which is the one featured here during the first four years of the Swenglish Home blog (Feb 2010 - Feb 2014). When I am not busy picking flowers by the road side or plotting a new interior project, I work as a university lecturer and consultant in Intercultural Communication.

For my work as a Communication Consultant and University lecturer, see my website: